Chapter 24 Teaser
"How It Ends"
"I nudged her. She groaned in response and rolled over. I nudged her again.
"Rose?" I whimpered.
Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up, looking around at the room. "What the hell?"
"My thoughts exactly," I teased.
"Oh, shit. I'm sorry Bella."
"What are you doing in here?"
"I came to tell you something last night. But you looked so content, I didn't have the heart to wake you," Rose explained.
"So you just snuck in and curled up next to me?"
On second thought, this shouldn't have been unusual for me. Rose's parents used to fight, often and intensely. Alice and Jake would sleep through the shit, but when Rose woke up and heard the horrible things they would say to each other, she would sneak the few blocks over to my house, climb in my window and curl up next to me. Sometimes I woke up, sometimes I didn't. She was always gone at dawn. Rose was ashamed of this for some reason, and made me swear never to tell anyone -- including Alice and Jake. For some reason, I never did.
"Jenks' knows," she murmured with a despondent undertone, as if his finding out was a terrible experience for her to have lived through."
And now for something else. I'm working on another story -- something definitely shorter and more concise than "Spy Games." Here's a little snip it from that:
"You're late," Edward stated.
"You know, you really ought to quit that," I chided upon arrival, deciding to completely ignore his comment about my tardiness. "It's gonna kill you."
"We all gotta die someday, at least I can say I chose slow and painful suffering."
"Perpetual self hater," I snorted.
"Know it all," he quipped in response.
I sat down on the swing next to him and sighed. "Is Tanya okay?"
"Don't know, haven't talked to her," he replied, taking another long drag of his cigarette before flicking it into the street.
"What's going on with you two?"
He laughed and rubbed his hand over his brow. "Forgive me Bells, if I don't want to talk about Tanya."
"Okay," I whimpered. "Here's your present. I got you two."
His face scrunched in confusion. "Two? Why two?"
"I thought we'd be exchanging gifts in front of everyone. I couldn't give you what I really wanted to give you in front of them," I explained.
"Did you get Jake two presents?"
I rolled my eyes and laughed. "My father and I split a new head unit for his Volkswagen."
"Ah," he mused and started to tear off the paper, but I stopped him.
"No, open it later," I murmured.
He seemed confused at first, but then nodded and whispered, "Okay," before handing me a medium sized, rectangular box.
"I'm your secret Santa," he whispered. "But if I'm not allowed to open mine, you have to wait to open yours."
I nodded in agreement. "So, why'd you call me out here?"
"I didn't want to give you your present in front of everyone either."
"Really?" I teased. "Is it scandalous?"
"Of course," he replied with a wink.
I laughed and nudged him in the rib cage. "Alright Midnight Caller, if you want to talk about anything, you know where to find me." I started to rise but Edward grabbed my hand to stop me. Our skin connected again with that same, harmonious buzz. It ran right through me, up my arm and over my chest. It turned me on in a way that made me tremble and fall weak at the knees. Surprised, I jerked and pulled away from him.
"You feel it too," Edward exclaimed, adjusting his body to face mine.
"Yeah I feel it, what is it?"
"I have no idea," he muttered. "But I want to feel it --" He ran his finger down the side of my cheek, trailing the charge across my skin with his thumb. "-- everywhere."
He leaned in to kiss me. I could see his face getting closer, and, God, how I longed to feel those lips on mine again. My gaze immediately went to Jake's house across the street. None of the lights were on, Jake was definitely in bed. I'd get away with it if I wanted to.
But did I really want to?
Hell, both Tanya and Jake could be watching right now, and I'd have no fucking idea. So, reluctantly, I pulled away from him and stood -- a feat that took damn near everything out of me. I'd wanted to kiss him. I'd wanted to feel that electric charge all over my skin, but I just couldn't. I was with Jake. He was with Tanya. If we wanted to be together, we had to break up with our significant others first, something I wasn't sure I really wanted to do. Jake had always been very good to me. He didn't deserve this.
"I should be getting back," I mumbled. "Uh -- Thank you for the gift. I hope you like yours."
I didn't wait for a reply. I turned around and marched right back to my house.
Once inside, I collapsed against the front door and took a deep breath.
"What the fuck is wrong with me?" I thought.
I was losing my damned mind.
On the way upstairs, I peeled the wrappings from the box Edward had given me. "Create-a-mate Casting Kit," it said. I was confused until I looked down and noticed exactly what it was.
I immediately started laughing hysterically.
Edward had made me a dildo replica of his dick."
It's called La Vita Nuova -- Here's the banner for it. I'll probably post some of it within the next week or so.
So that's what I've been up to -- but I haven't abandoned Spy Games, so no worries. Thanks for reading. :-)
